Cap or stopper for containers and the method of making it



Sept. 17, 1929- M. w. POWELL 1,728,699

CAP 08 STOPPER FOR CONTAINERS AND THE METHOD OF MAKING I'l' Filed Sept. 8, 1927 Patented Sept. 17, 1929 UNITED STATES PATENT? OF E MILTON w. POWELL, or BALTIMORE, MARYLAND CAP R s'rorrnn ron CONTAINERS AND THE mn'rnonor MAKING IT Application filed September a, 1927. Serial. No. 218,243;

The invention relates to caps or stoppers for milk bottles and the like and has for its object the provision of a cap or stopper 1ncluding a tab for releasing the cap or stop- 5 per from the mouth of the-bottle or other container and providing an improved means for reinforcing the face of the tab to prevent it from being pulled out of or off of the cap or stopper.

A further object of the invention is the provision of an improved method of making caps or stoppers for COIltELlIlQI'S that are usually cut from sheets of flexible material such as pulpboard by providing the sheets, preliminary to cutting them into disks, w1th rows of interrupted stitching so positioned that the stitches will be arranged intermediate of the side edges of the disk and at the base of a tab the row of stitching serving to reinforce the base of the tab and to secure it on the disk.

The invention will be described in detail hereinafter and will be found illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a top plan view of the cap or stopper made in accordance with my mvention,

Figure 2 is a central transverse sectional view through the lifting tab showing the tab in a raised position, and

Figure 3 is a fragmental view of the sheets from which the caps or stoppers are made showing the interrupted stitches and the cuts made to form the disks and the tabs.

In the drawings similar reference characters are used to designate corresponding parts in all of the views.

The invention consists in forming the caps or stoppers of milk bottles that are usually cut from sheets of pulpboard by cutting the caps or stoppers in the usual manner but prior to the cutting of the caps or stoppers the sheet of pulpboard is passed through a sewing machine to provide the sheet with rows of stitching in intermittent sections. The sewing of the intermittent sections of stitching is performed by a machine arranged to lift the needle, if a single needle machine, or the needles, if a multiple needle machine, from the sheet intermittently, and

to sever, the thread each time a needle is lifted so 'thatseries of intermittent stitches such as shown in Figure 3 of the drawings is sewed through the board, the stitches'being designated 1 in the sheet of pulpboard A. After the sewing operation is completed the sheet is then passed ,toa cutting machine that cuts it into circular disks 2 by circular incisions 3, and at the same time tabs 4' are provided on the disks preferably by cutting part way through the sheet by cuts indicated at 5, the tabs being so positioned that the stitches 1 on each disk are positioned at the base of the tab thereon and extend a'short distance beyond each side of the tab but'en'd shortof the outer edge of the disk. By this means areinforcement or securing means for the tab is accomplished Without weakening the cap or stopper.

It will be understood that the sheet A may be printed before the disks are severed and this printing may be done before or after the sewing operation. -Itwill also be understood that sheets may be treated with parafline or other waterproofing material on one or both sides before the disks are cut therefrom and'the sheet may be compressed after the sewing operation and before or t after the waterproofing thereof to close the needle holes therein to make the cap or stopper air tight.

may be deferred until after the disks are formed from the sheet oreither or both of the operations may be omitted as may be found expedient.

It is known that disks have been produced having a row of stitching extending across the disk from edgeto edge forming a chord of the circle describi'ng the diskcut from a If preferred the com-- pressing operation and the waterproofing sheet having continuous rows of stitches, but

such caps or stoppers have proved to'be undesirable because the perforations made by the rows of stitches forms a weakened line on the disk causing it tobreak oftentimes when closing a bottle therewith, or in any event when the disk is removed from the bottle to decant its contents sothat the disk is useless for rescaling the bottle as is free quently desired.

Furthermore the process of making disks from sheets of material with continuous rows of stitching is undesirable because in cutting the disks from such sheets, in some instances the circular incision is liable to be alongside a needle hole that forms a vent in the edge of the disk that prevents air-tight sealing of the container therewith.

By my method it will be apparent that an air-tight closure can be secured at all times; that the cap is not weakened and when removed from the container to decant a portion of its contents may be replaced to reseal the container. It will also be apparent that caps made by my process can be, produced at a less expense than those produced by continuous rows of stitching because of the saving in the stitching material, about sixty per cent thereof, and the waste material after the disks are cut is of greater value because of the absence of threads stitched into it, as the users ofsuch material do not want foreign matter adhering to it.

It will be apparent that instead of cutting the threads when the needle is lifted as above described, the thread may be strung along between the stitches, the unstitched threads being severed at the time the disks are cut from the sheet and the cut particles of thread between the disks may be brushed away to prevent, them from getting into the waste. 7

A great advantage in providing the caps with stitched reinforcements for the tabs is that the stitches do not interfere with capping bottles or other containers as the disks are of uniform thickness and this is not true of caps using wire'staples for reinforcing the tabs.

It will be apparent that the stitches may,

be formed of thread, twine, fine wire,-or any other suitable material.

What is claimed is In combination with a bottle stopper comprising a disk formed of fibrous material and having a pulling tab formed from said material and integral with the disk, 9. reinforcement for said tab consisting of a row of stitches sewed through said disk and arranged at the base of the tab, said row of stitches ending remote from the edges of the disk and providing blank spaces at the ends of the row of stitches, said blank spaces preventing the disk folding on a line defining the row of stitches.

In testimony whereof I afiiX my signature.

MILTON W. POWELL. 

